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Help! Generator won't stop trying to start.

November 27, 2016, 05:45:47 pm

Went on a trip for Thanksgiving, and returned home to both dock lights and the Boost button On, pressed by our cat who was using the panel as a bed...    and a housebattery reading of less than 11 volts. 

Tried to start the engine, and wasn't even close.  Then tried to start the genny using the one way switch other dashb- again just a clicking noise, dead.  But then the generator continued to click every 15 seconds or so and discharged the battery further and further.  Couldn't stop it from trying to turn on.  Keys in, keys out, auto start on, autostart off, didn't matter.  Popped the front panel, turned off the generator master switch, turned off both 15 amp channels, pulled the fuse.  Generator continued to try to start every 15 seconds.

Finally I disconnected the chassis and house batteries, and it obviously stopped, but not before the house batteries read under 10 volts.  But now when I try to reconnect the house batteries, the generator just goes right back and starts trying to turn on continuously.

Want to try to jump the generator from a car battery, but I don't want to hook it up until I figure out how to control the generator.  Any ideas?

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Re: Help! Generator won't stop trying to start.

Reply #1 – November 27, 2016, 06:26:36 pm

James & Erin,  My assumption is that the generator auto-start is engaged, trying to start because the low battery voltage.  Gen auto-starts usually crank for a short period and wait to see if gen is running.  If it did not start, auto-start will initiate another attempt to start, etc.
You could find how to turn off gen auto-start.  But first I would build a box to cover side panel to pet-proof those push-down switches.
Then I would turn off boost switch to isolate the battery banks, jump the house battery with car battery so you can manually start generator to power your battery charger, to charge house battery bank, then when it is pretty well along on charging, leave gen running, turn on boost to bring coach engine battery up.  Leaving batteries at low voltage too long can hurt them.
If the generator continues to try to start, it may settle down and self-correct when battery is charged.

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Re: Help! Generator won't stop trying to start.

Reply #2 – November 27, 2016, 06:29:38 pm

There should be a fuse for the auto gen set start.  PULL IT.

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Re: Help! Generator won't stop trying to start.

Reply #3 – November 27, 2016, 07:34:03 pm

I wonder if the latching relay in the control box is stuck in the on position. It can be manually switched by the button on the top of it. You would have to pull the control box cover off though.

Mark

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Re: Help! Generator won't stop trying to start.

Reply #4 – November 27, 2016, 07:43:33 pm

The auto start is disengaged on the dash, and it wasn't attempting to start until I hit the manual start at the dash....  did not see fuse for autostart on main fuse box or under dash.  There was one fuse on front of generator, but I pulled that and it has no effect.

Anyway, I disconnected the house batteries from the coach, and hooked them directly to a running car battery for about 20 minutes.  Then I hooked everything up and it gave the generator autostart enough juice to get everything going after three iterations.  Crisis averted.  Now to build a cover for that .

Thanks for the advice, all.

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